🔗 Share this article France will start stopping migrant vessels in English Channel after British demands French officials have consented to start stopping small boats in the English Channel, after months of insistence from the United Kingdom. The change in policy comes after the Prime Minister wrote to the President urging him to back the plan and saying there currently "have no effective deterrent" in the maritime passage. French security forces have been authorized to intercept the small boats at sea, but only before they've collected their migrants, according to authoritative statements. French authorities have infrequently intervened to prevent the overcrowded boats leaving the coastline because it is viewed as too great a danger to both personnel and civilians. "It is crucial that we deploy these tactics this period... We have zero effective deterrent in the Channel waters." Now, a French maritime police spokesperson says personnel will begin taking action at sea, with the objective of safeguarding human life. Notably, the spokesperson ruled out the use of entanglement devices to stop boats, which had previously been reported as a possible method to disable the engines of the boats. The decision to take action at all is a significant advancement, following a brief change towards a more aggressive approach this warmer season, which ceased when the former Interior Minister left government. That was highlighted in the summer month, in the run-up to a summit between the UK leader and French president, when French police were observed walking into the sea to damage the hulls of a vessel. Currently French authorities will again be permitted to stop boats before they pick up migrant individuals from the beaches of France's north coast, however it's uncertain how the small boats will be prevented. Strong winds are presently delaying the start of intervention operations and the human trafficking gangs will be looking for methods to adjust to avoid interception, as they have frequently done in the previous instances. The Home Office and the Prime Minister's office have been contacted for comment. Connected Developments Reasons Britain can't just return migrants to France France backing away from pledge to intercept asylum boats UK immigration Channel crossings Border security